Another Cougar making a national watchlist feels like it should be bigger news than it is, but we'll take it. Alex Covill getting that nod is a real signal that Kamie Ethridge's program is building something worth watching, and it's not just because of one name on a list. This follows a pattern we've been tracking all offseason, from the Cougar duo Covill and Villa land on Pac-12 preseason impact list to the defensive recognition for Two D-Linemen Land Ronnie Harrison and Ladji Dembele on Pac-12 Impact List. The pattern is simple: national eyes are starting to turn toward Pullman again, and it's not just the football team getting the attention.
Here's the take you can text a friend: Covill being on a national watchlist means the women's basketball roster has someone who can change a game, not just fill a stat sheet. That's a different kind of player than what we've seen in recent years. When you pair that with Ethridge's public determination to bury that 9-25 season starting now, you get a clear picture. This isn't about hoping for improvement. It's about having the pieces in place to actually demand it. Covill is one of those pieces, and national recognition means other teams will have to game-plan for her.
What does that mean for Cougs who sit through the cold nights in Beasley? It means you might want to grab your seats early this season. A player on a watchlist draws scouts, and scouts draw attention, but more importantly, that kind of player makes everyone around her better. The defensive line got its own recognition with Harrison and Dembele, and now the women's hoops team has its own name in the national conversation. That's two different programs sending the same message: Pullman is producing players that the rest of the country has to respect, not just tolerate.
The specific thing to watch is whether Covill's presence on that list translates to more than preseason hype. Watchlists are nice, but they don't win games in February. What matters is whether Ethridge can turn that recognition into a culture shift that sticks. Covill is the kind of player who can be the cornerstone of that shift, but she needs the supporting cast to step up. If the rest of the roster meets that standard, we're not just talking about a better record. We're talking about a team that makes the postseason a realistic expectation, not a dream. Go Cougs.